NIELSEN GAMES GAMES 360 U.S. REPORT 2017 Copyright © 2017 The Nielsen Company 1 GAMES 360 2017 This is a hugely exciting period for the games industry, with the launch of new platforms and devices, the rise of new technologies Michael Flamberg allowing for a shared, connected experience like never before, Vice President and General and evolving gamer habits necessitating changes to strategies and Manager, Nielsen Games business models. Charting these changes and mapping out what the future of the industry may look like requires careful analysis; for the 8th year in a row, Nielsen Games has done just that, conducting extensive research into how Americans feel about – and consume – gaming in general, the devices and platforms they prefer, the ways in which those platforms and devices are being used, where gaming fits alongside alternative forms of entertainment and how these trends are changing over time. “ FOR THE 8TH YEAR IN A ROW, NIELSEN GAMES HAS CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO HOW AMERICANS FEEL ABOUT – AND CONSUME – GAMING.” The result is this 360 report, an essential annual resource for anyone working – or considering getting involved – in the games industry. This year’s headline results show that although the number of people playing games has remained stable, they are spending more time gaming overall. Mobile gaming time has also leveled off but the penetration of 8th Generation consoles and the release of the mid-cycle console upgrades have driven increased engagement on those devices. It is also shifting the way 7th Generation devices are used – they have transitioned from pure gaming machines to multimedia devices, used for streaming and consuming other media. The continued growth of eSports and the excitement and investment in virtual and augmented reality, along with the increasing prevalence of downloadable content, expansion packs and full digital games, only underline the buoyancy of the industry in 2017. We hope you enjoy the report as we continue to follow the exciting new experiences the video game industry has in store for us all. 2 CONTENTS 1 | GAMING INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 04 The gaming audience, how they’re playing and what they’re buying. 2 | EVOLUTION OF THE GAMER 12 Playing time, purchasing habits and the way gamers are using consoles. 3 | TRENDS TO WATCH 20 eSports, virtual and augmented reality and the growing relationship with gaming. METHODOLOGY Data collection Annual data for the Nielsen Games 360 Report is collected via consumer online surveys in Q1 of each year using Nielsen’s proprietary, high-quality ePanel in the United States. Sample Groups surveyed – General Population/Teens/Adults aged 13+: 2000+ interviews among 50% male/50% female sample. Representivity Post-survey, raw data is weighted to ensure representation of the U.S. General Population based on U.S. Census data. Copyright © 2017 The Nielsen Company 3 1 The rise of augmented reality games and downloadable content are among the trends being closely monitored by the games industry. 4 INDUSTRY OVERVIEW THE GAMING AUDIENCE, HOW THEY’RE PLAYING AND WHAT THEY’RE BUYING The games industry has not been short of new products and compelling storylines over the past year. Overwatch and Pokémon GO, Sony PlayStation 4 Pro and Super Mario Run all made headlines, as did new iterations of established game franchises, such as Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and the launch of updated consoles. This has continued in early 2017 with March’s launch of Nintendo Switch, designed to be used at home as well as on the move. 64% The multitude of new software has led to gamers spending more time OF THE U.S. POPULATION gaming, while the gaming audience in the United States remains stable (13+) ARE GAMERS. year-on-year. From a hardware perspective, the launch of premium versions of existing consoles by the major manufacturers continues to broaden the choice for consumers. PERCENTAGE OF GAMERS AMONG GENERAL POPULATION (AGED 13+) 2016 I 64% 2015 I 63% 2014 I 63% 2013 I 61% 2012 I 58% Copyright © 2017 The Nielsen Company 5 HOW MANY DEVICES? The percentage of gamers who play games on only one device type 46% has risen year-on-year, from 42% to 46%. Playership on two devices has dipped slightly, from 40% to 38% while the percentage of players OF GAMERS PLAY gaming on three device types – computer, mobile/tablet and console – ON ONLY ONE TYPE has dropped from 18% in 2016 to 16%. This is indicative of mobile OF DEVICE. playership stabilizing after several years of growth. PLATFORM PLAYERSHIP BY TYPE % OF CONSUMERS (AGED 13+) DEVICES Consoles Mobile/Tablet Computer 15% % of gamers who play on only one device type % of gamers who play on two device types 2015 45% % of gamers who play 38% on three device types 40% 18% 16% 2016 42% 2017 46% 40% 38% 6 42% of the general population, aged 13+, are mobile/tablet players. MOBILE AND TABLET In recent years, mobile and tablet gaming has done much to grow the overall gaming industry. However, after several years of sustained growth, mobile and tablet playership appears to have leveled off. 62% of console players now play games on mobile or tablet, compared to 66% a year ago. CONSOLE PLAYERS GAMING ON MOBILE/TABLET DEVICES WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING, IF ANY, DO YOU PERSONALLY PLAY GAMES ON? % OF CONSOLE GAMERS AGED 13+ 46% 50% 57% 66% 62% Gaming on a mobile or tablet 54% 50% 43% 34% 38% Not gaming on a 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 mobile or tablet Copyright © 2017 The Nielsen Company 7 PLATFORM PREFERENCES Among U.S. gamers, consoles are the preferred device to play on. 47% regard consoles as their favorite platform, while 26% prefer mobile devices and 27% prefer PCs. Sony’s PlayStation 4 is the most recognized device among the general population, gamers and non- gamers, just ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox One/One S. Prior to the launch of Nintendo Switch in March, the general population was just as aware of the console as the PlayStation 4 Pro, which launched in November 2016. Microsoft’s new Xbox project, Scorpio, has yet to be released, hence the lower current awareness figures. There is much speculation around the console: the latest details released suggest a focus on 4K optics, 12 GB of memory and greater processing power. PLATFORM PREFERENCE AMONG GAMERS WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING DO YOU MOST PREFER TO PLAY GAMES ON? % OF CONSOLE, PC, AND MOBILE/TABLET GAMERS (AGED 13+) MOBILE DEVICE 26% GAMING CONSOLE Smartphone 47% or tablet Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, etc COMPUTER 27% 8 AWARENESS OF CURRENT GENERATION CONSOLES WHICH OF THESE VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS, IF ANY, HAVE YOU HEARD OF? Sony PlayStation 4 69% Microsoft Xbox One/Xbox One S 61% Nintendo Switch 22% Sony PlayStation 4 Pro 21% GENERAL POPULATION (AGED 13+) Microsoft Xbox “Scorpio” 11% None of the above 18% Sony PlayStation 4 77% Microsoft Xbox One/Xbox One S 72% Nintendo Switch 29% Sony PlayStation 4 Pro 27% GAMERS (AGED 13+) Microsoft Xbox “Scorpio” 14% None of the above 9% Sony PlayStation 4 52% Microsoft Xbox One/Xbox One S 41% Sony PlayStation 4 Pro 9% Nintendo Switch 7% NON-GAMERS (AGED 13+) Microsoft Xbox “Scorpio” 3% None of the above 37% Copyright © 2017 The Nielsen Company 9 INTENTION TO PURCHASE HOW LIKELY ARE YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, TO BUY EACH OF THE FOLLOWING GAME SYSTEMS?* General Population (Aged 13+) Gamers (Aged 13+) 21% 17% 16% 15% 15% 12% 12% 11% 13% DEFINITELY/ 9% PROBABLY WILL BUY Microsoft Nintendo PlayStation Sony Microsoft Xbox One/ Switch 4 PlayStation Xbox Xbox One S 4 Pro “Scorpio” *For any that you already own, please indicate if you would buy another. PHYSICAL VS DIGITAL SOFTWARE PREFERENCES 69% of console gamers aged 13 and older prefer physical software, but PC gamers show a stronger preference for digital (75%). Possible factors for this include the popularity and comparative cost- effectiveness of the Steam platform, the limited storage space on consoles (despite the introduction of 1TB and 2TB versions) compared to most gaming PCs, and the ease and speed with which games can be downloaded to a PC via a hard-wired internet connection. Both console and PC gamers who prefer digital software spend more time per week gaming than those who prefer physical software. However, console gamers who prefer digital spend more per month on games, while PC gamers who prefer physical software are heavier spenders than their digital counterparts. 10 PREFERENCE WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF CONSOLE GAMES/COMPUTER GAMES DO YOU MOST PREFER? Prefer Physical 69% 75% Prefer Digital 31% 25% Console Gamers PC Gamers (Aged 13+) (Aged 13+) WEEKLY GAMING HOURS – OVERALL GAMING TIME IN A TYPICAL WEEK, HOW MANY HOURS OF YOUR LEISURE TIME DO YOU PERSONALLY SPEND ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING? Prefer Physical Prefer Digital 6.1 Console Gamers PC Gamers 5.5 (Aged 13+) 7.2 (Aged 13+) 8.1 MONTHLY $ SPEND ON VIDEO GAMES – OVERALL SPEND IN A TYPICAL MONTH, ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU SPEND ON VIDEO GAMES? Prefer Physical Prefer Digital 13.6 Console Gamers PC Gamers 20 (Aged 13+) 17.5 (Aged 13+) 12.9 Copyright © 2017 The Nielsen Company 11 2 Gamers are spending more of their leisure time than last year playing video games or engaging in eSports activities. 12 EVOLUTION OF THE GAMER PLAYING TIME, PURCHASING HABITS AND THE WAY GAMERS ARE USING CONSOLES 12% Gamers are spending slightly more of their leisure time playing video OF U.S. GAMERS’ games or engaging in eSports activities – 12% in 2017 compared to LEISURE TIME IS 11% in 2016.